Disaster declarations for farmers in 2 counties LITTLE ROCK (AP) — U. S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has made disaster declarations for farmers in two Arkansas counties that suffered losses and damage due to high winds and hail that occurred on Oct. 7. Responding to requests from Gov. Mike Beebe, Vilsack issued the primary county disaster declarations in Craighead and Mississippi counties. Additionally, Crittenden, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, and Poinsett counties were named as cont...

Cotton reports raising nearly $1M in early October LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton's campaign says he raised nearly $1 million over the first two weeks of the month in his bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor in Arkansas. Cotton's campaign said Wednesday he'll report raising roughly $985,000 between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 in his pre-election campaign finance report, which is due Thursday. Cotton's campaign said he spent more than $2.1 million during the same period and ...

Early voting begins for Arkansas midterm electionThousands of Arkansas residents took advantage of early voting Monday in a closely watched midterm election highlighted by an expensive U.S. Senate race that could determine which party controls the chamber. Nearly 22,000 voters had cast a ballot by late afternoon as Arkansas kicked off its two-week voting period ahead of the Nov. 4 election, according to Secretary of State Mark Martin's office. Martin has predicted 51 percent of the state's n...

Federal judge sets hearing in marriage caseA federal judge has set a hearing for next month in a lawsuit challenging Arkansas' gay marriage ban. U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker on Monday scheduled a Nov. 20 hearing over competing motions in the lawsuit challenging a 2004 constitutional amendment and earlier laws defining marriage as between a man and a woman. A group of same-sex couples is challenging the ban. The hearing will be on the couples' motion for summary judgment in the ca...

Lieutenant governor hopefuls say post is essentialRepublican U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin and Democrat John Burkhalter both say the Arkansas lieutenant governor's office is still very much needed, even though the post has been vacant for nine months and some lawmakers are working to eliminate the job altogether. The two are vying to become the state's No. 2 leader along with Libertarian Chris Olson. The office has been unoccupied since Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Darr stepped down in February amid an e...

Chief deputy attorney general joins ASU staffArkansas' chief deputy attorney general has been named associate general counsel for the Arkansas State University system. ASU system President Charles Welch on Monday announced the appointment of Brad Phelps of Little Rock to the staff. Phelps has worked in various areas of the attorney general's office since 2003 and has been chief deputy since 2010. He will move to the ASU system office in Little Rock on Nov. 3. Welch said the position is b...

Trial date delayed for Greene County justice PARAGOULD (AP) — The felony battery trial of a Greene County justice of the peace is being delayed by a month and moved to a neighboring county. The defense attorney for Justice Ronnie Wood told the Paragould Daily Press that Woods' scheduled court appearance has been moved from Monday until Nov. 20 and will be in Craighead County. Defense attorney Brad Broadaway said Woods can either go to trial or plead guilty. Broadaway would not say if Woo...

Man finds his date of death carved into tombstone BATESVILLE (AP) — A Batesville man who was preparing for the future by purchasing a tombstone for his grave has found that someone has carved his date of death into the stone — and the date is more than two years ago. The Batesville Daily Guard reported that Lonnie Shrum, 72, was notified Wednesday by a friend that the stone in Pleasant Valley Cemetery near Cushman now includes a date of death. Shrum says he found the date Jan. 15, 2012, carve...

Police say 1 killed in Little Rock home invasion LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Little Rock police said a man has been shot and killed during a home invasion and robbery. Lt. Sidney Allen said officers were called about 4:20 a.m. Saturday where witnesses said two men entered the home and robbed those inside at gunpoint. The witnesses said that as the two suspects left, one fired at least one shot that struck and killed the victim. No names have been released.

Former president campaigns for Democrats in Hope HOPE (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton made a stop in his southwest Arkansas birthplace Saturday during his latest campaign swing through the state on behalf of Democratic candidates. Clinton was joined at the Hope train depot by the party's gubernatorial nominee, former U.S. Rep. Mike Ross; U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor; and 4th Congressional District candidate James Lee Witt. Clinton also encouraged the crowd to turn out and cast ballots in the mi...

Hot Springs woman killed in Garland County crash HOT SPRINGS (AP) — Arkansas State Police say a 29-year-old Hot Springs woman has been killed in a head-on collision in Garland County. A police report stated Chelley Conrad died in the crash Friday on Highway 227 North. The report says Conrad was a passenger in a northbound car when the car crossed the center line and collided head-on with a southbound vehicle. The driver of the car and two people in the second vehicle were taken to a Hot Spri...

Clinton returns to Arkansas to boost Democrats HOT SPRINGS (AP) — Bill Clinton kicked off his second campaign swing through Arkansas this month on Friday, as the former president aggressively delved into his home state's politics to boost a slate of candidates with whom he boasts longstanding ties. Speaking to a rally in his boyhood home of Hot Springs, the former Arkansas governor praised Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, gubernatorial nominee Mike Ross and congressional hopeful James Lee ...

NTSB: Train in crash going faster than it should WINSLOW (AP) — A train that collided with a stalled passenger train in Arkansas was coming to its aid and was apparently going too fast, a National Transportation Safety Board member said Friday. The passenger train was carrying tourists on a fall-foliage tour in the Ozark Mountains when the accident occurred near Winslow, about 175 miles northwest of Little Rock. Five people were critically hurt, including a conductor. A train coming to help ...

Attorney general rejects marijuana plan LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has rejected the proposed wording of a prospective ballot item that would let voters decide whether to legalize marijuana in the state. McDaniel's office on Friday rejected the proposal offered by Mary Berry because of ambiguities in the text of the measure and tells Berry to "redesign" both the proposal and the ballot title. McDaniel has approved two other marijuana-related ballot p...

State Police: Sheriff's deputy wounded in shooting LESLIE (AP) — Arkansas State Police say a Searcy County sheriff's deputy and a 75 year-old man were wounded in a shooting at the Serenity Farm Bread store at Leslie in Searcy County. State police say deputies and a trooper were sent to the store about 11:15 a.m. Friday following reports of an armed man holding two hostages there. State police say when the officers arrived and entered the store, 75-year-old John Kolata opened fire and that a de...

Pryor: Work together to prevent Ebola spread LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Sen. Mark Pryor says that rather than pointing fingers about what has gone wrong in the nation's Ebola response, the country should work together to keep the virus from spreading. At a news conference in his Senate office Friday, Pryor suggested travel restrictions for non-citizens who have visited three west Africa countries recently. He also wants the nation to consider quarantines and improve the sharing of information am...

US judge won't delay Arkansas marriage lawsuit LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A federal judge has denied Arkansas' request to delay proceedings in a lawsuit challenging the state's constitutional ban on gay marriage. Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel earlier this year asked the court to put the case on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a case involving Utah's gay marriage ban. Last week, the high court declined to consider appeals in that case and four others. On Friday, U.S. District...

Man arrested in fatal assault in Little Rock LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Police in Little Rock say a homeless man has been arrested in connection with a fatal assault on a second homeless man. Police say officers investigating reports of the assault shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday found 39-year-old Marcus Tidwell on the ground and covered with blood. Police say Tidwell was taken to a local hospital where he later died. Police say witnesses pointed out a suspect and that the man was arrested follow...

Ross, Hutchinson split on voter ID law at debate CONWAY (AP) — Democrat Mike Ross and Republican Asa Hutchinson split on whether a court was right to strike down Arkansas' voter ID law and accused one another of flip-flopping on key issues as the gubernatorial rivals squared off Thursday for their third televised debate. The two rivals shared the stage with the Libertarian and Green Party nominees for the state's top office in a debate broadcast by the Arkansas Educational Television Network...

AG: Ruling 'clear' no voter ID for election LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas' top lawyer and top election official said Thursday that voters will not be required to show photo identification at the polls for the November election, saying a state Supreme Court decision finding the requirement unconstitutional blocks the measure from being enforced. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and Secretary of State Mark Martin said the court's unanimous ruling a day earlier means local election officials...